Removable handle for cryptorium



Dec. 30, 1952 K. J. KING REMOVABLE HANDLE FOR CRYPTORIUM Filed April 6 1950 E yK EN NE flrTUFNiYS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE HANDLE FOR ORYPTORIUM Kenneth J.,King, Galion, Ohio, assignor to Hercules Steel Products Corporation, G311i011,|h i0, a corporation of Delaware Application April 6, 1950, Serial No. 154,398

(Cl, Mt -11.4)

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to burial vaults, and particularly to the attachment of the carrying bars or carrying handles upon a burial vault.

An object of the invention is to provide a removable handle or a removable carrying bar on a burial vault so that the handle can be removed just prior to lowering of the vault into a grave opening, and the means by which the handle or carrying bar was removably attached to the burial vault can be used to receive the usual lowering straps that are used in lowering a vault into a grave opening.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an apparatus in accordance with the foregoing object wherein the removable handle is also provided with a strap bar that can be used to receive the lowering straps in the event the carrying bars or carrying handles of the vault are not to be removed for aesthetic or sentimental reasons.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of a portion of a grave vault on which the removable handles of this invention are applied;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of one of the removable handles of this invention;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2; a

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the device illustrated in Figure 3 illustrating the handle in removed position;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 66 of Figure 2.

In this invention the grave vault chamber I0 is provided with an open end that is closed by means of a door II carried upon hinges I2 secured to the side walls I3 of the vault I0. The door I I is secured in closed position by bolts I4.

In burial proceedings, the casket is placed within the vault Ill which is then sealed when the door I I is closed and suitably bolted in position. The vault I0 is of a heavy metal construction and must be provided with carrying handles at each end of the vault and with carrying bars along each side wall of the vault so that the vault can be carried in the same manner as the usual casket.

The carrying handles I5 and the carrying bars I6 are of an ornamental character and are expensive in their manufacture. A considerable 2 cost reduction can be effected if the handles and the carrying bars could be removed from the burial vault before the vault is lowered into a grave opening or is placed in a crypt in a mausoleum.

In this invention, therefore, the handles I5 and the carrying bars I6 are constructed and arranged to permit their removal from the burial vault so that the handles and the carrying bars can be re-used any number of times. Also, the handles I 5 and the carrying bars I6 are so mounted on the side walls of the burial vault that the mounting members for the handles and the carrying bars are used to receive the lowering straps when lowering a burial vault into a grave openmg.

The carrying handle I5 consists of a mounting plate '28 that is removably attached to the end wall of the burial vault Ill. The carrying bar It is provided with a plurality of mounting plates 20a, usually three in number along the length of the bar I5, which are identical with the mounting plate 20. Thus, a description of the mounting plate 20 will suffice for both the handles and the carrying bar since they are mounted upon the burial vault in identical manner.

The mounting plate 28 consists of a formed sheet metal member having an outer face por tion 2| and an edge portion 22 that is normal to the face portion 2| and extends around the periphery of the face portion. The edge portion 22 engages the end wall formed by the door II when the mounting plate 2!] is placed against the end wall.

The carrying handle I5 is provided with extending arms 23 and 24 that pivotally engage the face wall 2I of the mounting plate 20, as shown in Figure 6, so that the handle I5 can be raised to a horizontal position for the purpose of carrying the vault III.

The inner face of the face wall 2| carries a U-shaped clip 26 that is suitably welded to the inner face of the face wall 2 I. The neck opening 21 of the U-shaped clip is restricted so that it will snap over a bar when the clip is passed over a cooperating supporting bar. If desired, the U-shaped clip 26 could be formed from a part of the face wall 2| rather than making it a separate piece.

A strap bar 28 is secured to the wall, or door I I of the vault III by means of the legs 29 and 30 that project at each end of the bar 28 by a suitable welding operation. The strap bar 28 is thus spaced a substantial distance from the wall II 3 so that the free end 3| of the U-shaped clip 26 can pass between the bar 28 and the wall II, as shown in Figure 3.

To place the handles l5 or the carrying bars IB upon the vault I 0, the mounting plate is placed against the wall of the vault with the U-shaped clip 26 positioned beneath the strap bar 28, as shown in Figure 5. The mounting plate is then drawn upwardly to urge the clip 26 over the strap bar 28, as shown in Figure 3, thus removably securing the mounting plate 20 upon the wall of the burial vault.

When the carrying handle [5 or the carrying bar I6 is to be removed from the burial vault ID, the mounting plate 20 is urged downwardly .to release the U-shaped clip 26 from the strap bar 28.

With the mounting plates 20 removed from the burial vault ID, the strap bars 28 can then be used to receive the lowering straps normally used in lowering a vault or casket into a grave opening. Thus, it will be seen that the strap bars 28 serve the dual purpose as strap bars and as fastening means for holding the mounting plates in position on the burial vault, thus eliminating the necessity of providing for extra strap bars for use in lowering a vault into a grave opening.

If, for some reason it should not be desired to remove the carrying handle l5 and the carrying bar Hi from the grave vault before it is lowered into a grave opening, the mounting plate 20 is provided with a strap bar that can be used to lower the vault into a grave opening in the same manner as use of the strap bars 28. The strap bar 35 is formed by bending the face wall 2| upon itself in the central section of the lower edge of the mounting plate, as shown in Fig. 3. The mounting plate 20 has an inwardly formed portion 36 whereby an opening 31 is provided so that a strap can be passed around the bar 35.

The invention has been disclosed and described herein as used on a burial vault, but it will be understood that the invention can also be used on a burial casket in the event it becomes desirable to provide for removal of the carrying handles and the carrying bars.

While the device illustrated herein constitutes a preferred form of the invention, yet it will be understood that the construction of the device 4 can be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thu fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a removable handle structure for vaults, said structure comprising a cupped mounting plate, said mounting plate being adapted to receive and pivotally support a carrying handle, said mounting plate comprising a U-shaped spring member, said spring member having one leg attached to the rear wall of said cupped mounting plate, said U-shaped member lying in the space provided by said cupped mounting plate and in a plane normal to the rear wall of said mounting plate, the other leg of said U-shaped member comprising an outwardly bent free end portion for guiding said U-shaped spring member into interlocking engagement with means secured to said vault.

2. In a removable handle structure for vaults, said structure comprising a cupped mounting plate having a wall, said mounting plate being adapted to receive and pivotally support a carrying handle, said mounting plate comprising a U-shaped spring member. said U-shaped spring member lying in the space provided by said cupped mounting plate and in a plane normal to the rear wall of said mounting plate, said spring member comprising one leg in spaced relationship to said wall and comprising an outwardly bent free end portion for guiding said U-shaped spring member into interlocking engagement with means secured to said vault.

KENNETH J. KING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 520,015 Bannister May 15, 1894 520,016 Bannister May 15, 1894 1,185,655 Govro June 6, 1916 1,465,701 Wartenby Aug. 21, 1923 

